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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: rule · pass · pound · safe · cabinet · bat · lash · mug

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mug — a face
  4. pass — a permit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rule — government
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rule — a law
  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