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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: stick · rash · lean · can · bowl · swing · rest · last

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. can — a tin
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rash — hasty
  6. last — to go on
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rest — what's left
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — thin
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. last — finally
  17. swing — music
  18. last — final
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rash — a series
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lean — to bend

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