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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.

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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: pass · deal · kid · can · face · lash · mine · row

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. row — a line
  5. mine — for digging
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. row — to paddle
  9. kid — child
  10. can — to be able to
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. face — part of the head
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. kid — to tease

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