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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: date · pound · lash · bat · safe · bore · pass · roll

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. roll — a list
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pound — a weight
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bore — to drill
  11. roll — a cake
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pass — to spend time

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