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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: pit · lash · hide · land · stick · game · pass · plane

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. land — to come down
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. land — a country
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. plane — a tool
  14. game — a match
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. land — ground
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. game — wild animals
  24. plane — in geometry

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