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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: nail · fan · cold · mouse · swing · rush · bound · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cold — not warm
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bound — obliged
  10. swing — music
  11. bound — certain
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pass — to succeed

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