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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: lash · pass · pound · lie · hide · wax · stand · cold

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cold — not warm
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pound — to hit hard

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