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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: lie · face · lash · swing · bound · patient · pass · mate

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bound — obliged
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. face — to confront
  23. mate — a friend
  24. face — part of the head

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