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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: lash · file · patient · stand · face · march · pass · coach

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — the month
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pass — a permit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — music
  17. file — a tool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. face — to confront
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. file — a document

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