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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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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 · cap · pass · season · race · mate · lean · fan

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cap — a lid
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mate — to breed
  10. race — a contest
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. season — of the year
  22. lean — thin
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mate — a partner

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