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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: chest · fine · pass · spring · cue · bound · file · lash

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bound — certain
  3. spring — of water
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cue — for pool
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spring — the season
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fine — all right
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bound — tied together
  24. file — a tool

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