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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · lie · saw · fan · last · kick · mouse · date

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. last — finally
  6. pass — a permit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. last — to go on
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lie — to recline
  21. last — final
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — an untruth

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