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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.

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: pass · bore · pop · lash · land · mouse · key · face

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. face — to confront
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pop — music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pop — to visit
  11. key — for a lock
  12. land — ground
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bore — to drill
  15. key — in music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. land — a country
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. land — to come down
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pop — soda

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