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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.

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: pass · mine · cell · coach · rush · pound · spring · mark

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spring — the season
  10. pass — a permit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cell — in biology
  13. spring — of water
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mine — an explosive

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