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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · cap · suit · chest · lash · mouse · fork · date

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. suit — clothes
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chest — a box
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chest — of your body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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