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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · pass · swing · bowl · roll · shower · snap · racket

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. swing — to play on
  6. roll — a list
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. shower — to wash
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. swing — in golf
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. snap — to click
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. swing — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com