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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: mug · swing · plane · saw · pass · mouse · fall · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. swing — to play on
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. club — for golf
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fall — the season
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. plane — a tool
  19. club — a group
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mug — a face
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. pass — a permit

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