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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pound — a weight
  3. season — of the year
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. season — in sport
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bat — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rock — music

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