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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: leaves · ball · cap · drill · mate · rush · swing · rash

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mate — to breed
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ball — a great time
  11. drill — army training
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. swing — in golf
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ball — a dance
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rash — on the skin

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