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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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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: pound · net · pass · saw · bore · kid · lash · leaves

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. net — in sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kid — to tease
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. net — after costs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. net — for catching

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