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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bound — certain
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bound — obliged
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bound — tied together
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. craft — boats
  18. row — a line
  19. pass — a permit
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mate — a partner
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mate — a friend

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