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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: swing · ground · can · cap · mine · spell · rash · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cap — a hat
  5. spell — letters
  6. rash — a series
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — a position
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cap — a lid
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rash — hasty
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cap — of ice
  17. swing — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ground — crushed
  21. spell — magic
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ground — the earth
  24. swing — in golf

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