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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 116 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: swing · last · current · leaves · racket · pass · lie · tear

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. lie — to recline
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. last — to go on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — of water
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tear — from crying
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — happening now
  13. last — final
  14. tear — from crying
  15. swing — to play on
  16. tear — to rip
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. last — finally
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — electric
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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