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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · pass · spell · swing · date · lash · rash · kick

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. swing — to play on
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pass — a permit
  6. kick — in football
  7. swing — music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spell — magic
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spell — a short time
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. can — a tin
  17. rash — a series
  18. can — to be able to
  19. swing — in golf
  20. spell — letters
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lash — to lash out

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