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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: lie · cap · race · swing · mug · hide · pass · snap

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — a cup
  8. race — the arms race
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — a face
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. swing — to play on
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cap — a lid
  22. snap — to click
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pass — to succeed

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