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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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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: lash · bat · pass · rush · court · hand · can · bound

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bound — tied together
  6. court — of law
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bound — obliged
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hand — help
  15. can — a tin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bound — certain
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. court — for sport
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pass — a permit
  22. court — of a king
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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