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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · clip · bat · coach · wax · suit · lash · pass

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. suit — to fit
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bat — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. suit — in cards
  17. clip — to cut
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bat — in an idiom

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