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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 116 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: dip · fall · current · pass · track · straw · wound · swing

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fall — to drop
  7. current — of water
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. track — to keep track
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. track — a song
  14. current — happening now
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — music
  17. current — electric
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fall — the season
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. track — a path
  23. wound — an injury
  24. straw — dry grass

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