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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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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 · kid · club · pass · can · lie · saw · rash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. can — a tin
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. club — for dancing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. club — a group
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. kid — child
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. swing — music
  19. club — for golf
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rash — a series
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — hasty

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