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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: pass · staff · rest · racket · swing · wake · rash · cap

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. cap — a lid
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. swing — music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cap — of ice
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cap — a hat
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rash — a series
  23. swing — to play on
  24. staff — employees

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