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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: season · lash · mark · cue · hide · date · chest · pass

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. season — in sport
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. season — of the year
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chest — a box
  15. date — the fruit
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chest — of your body

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