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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 120 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: cap · rush · rest · swing · kid · wax · bear · pass

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. kid — child
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rest — a break
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cap — a lid
  11. swing — music
  12. rush — hurry
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — a hat
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kid — to tease

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