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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bat — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — in sport
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. band — a ring
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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