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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: row · deal · lie · bat · content · pass · leaves · wake

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. row — a line
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. content — happy
  14. row — to paddle
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wake — a trail
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — the amount
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lie — to recline
  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