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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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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: pop · rash · straw · pass · kick · temple · wind · swing

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. kick — in football
  5. swing — to play on
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pop — soda
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. swing — music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rash — a series
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pop — music
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pass — a permit
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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