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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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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: mug · lash · pass · sharp · chip · spring · tube · mine

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. tube — a container
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chip — for betting
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mug — a face
  19. spring — the season
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spring — of water
  22. chip — to eat
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mug — to rob

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