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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: swing · cue · lash · rash · pass · lean · present · chest

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. swing — music
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. present — there
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rash — hasty
  13. present — a gift
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. swing — to play on
  21. present — the time now
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rash — a series
  24. chest — a box

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