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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: pound · chest · rule · pass · mine · coach · scale · lash

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. scale — in music
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pass — a permit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rule — a law
  17. pound — a weight
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rule — government
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lash — to lash out

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