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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 124 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. land — to come down
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fall — to drop
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. land — a country
  9. net — in sport
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. field — farmland
  14. fall — the season
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fall — to drop
  18. band — a music group
  19. field — for sport
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. land — ground
  23. band — a ring
  24. field — a subject

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