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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 120 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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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: season · pass · lash · hand · fall · bulb · object · track

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. track — a song
  3. hand — help
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fall — the season
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pass — a permit
  11. season — in sport
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — a thing
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. object — an aim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — of the year
  24. object — to protest

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