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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pass · land · bowl · cabinet · face · lash · field · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. face — to point toward
  3. land — ground
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. field — farmland
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. field — a subject
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. land — to come down
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. suit — in cards
  19. field — for sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. land — a country
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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