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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: stand · lash · pass · lean · patient · tube · game · date

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tube — the underground
  3. game — a match
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. date — the fruit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pass — a permit
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lean — thin
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lean — to bend
  24. tube — a container

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