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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: pop · hand · pass · lash · game · suit · face · bear

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — part of the head
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pass — a permit
  11. game — a match
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — help
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. face — to confront
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pop — soda
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. suit — to fit

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