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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: present · lash · tube · pass · rash · toast · cap · swing

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cap — of ice
  3. swing — in golf
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. present — there
  6. rash — hasty
  7. tube — a container
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. swing — music
  12. toast — bread
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rash — a series
  23. swing — to play on
  24. tube — the underground

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