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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
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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: mine · lash · roll · pass · land · trunk · saw · kick

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. land — to come down
  4. pass — a permit
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. land — a country
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. land — ground
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. roll — a list
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kick — in football
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. trunk — of a tree

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