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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · lean · rock · face · pop · lash · pass · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lean — thin
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rock — music
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pop — music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pop — soda
  24. lash — to lash out

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