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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: game · object · pass · pop · row · dip · lash · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pop — music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. object — an aim
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. object — to protest
  18. row — a line
  19. pop — soda
  20. pass — a permit
  21. object — a thing
  22. pop — to visit
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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