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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.

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: kick · pass · cabinet · squash · lash · mine · mug · date

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. kick — in football
  5. mug — a cup
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mine — for digging
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mug — a face
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mug — to rob

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