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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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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: pound · cabinet · hide · mark · lash · pass · race · patient

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. race — a contest
  5. mark — a trace
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. race — the arms race
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — a grade
  24. race — humankind

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