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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: mate · club · bear · rule · pass · content · lash · can

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. content — happy
  2. bear — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. content — the amount
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rule — government
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — to breed
  13. club — for golf
  14. can — to be able to
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pass — to succeed
  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