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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 120 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: mine · cue · swing · lash · pass · pop · bound · drill

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bound — certain
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. swing — to play on
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. swing — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pop — to visit
  23. drill — army training
  24. bound — obliged

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