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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 120 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: rash · pound · lean · mate · snap · tube · court · pass

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mate — to breed
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lean — thin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rash — a series
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pass — a permit
  17. tube — a container
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. court — for sport

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