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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 120 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.

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: mug · hide · cap · lash · coach · net · cold · pass

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mug — a face
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mug — a cup
  10. net — for catching
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. net — in sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cold — an illness
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cold — not warm
  23. net — after costs
  24. pass — to succeed

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