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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: pass · pop · staff · drill · lash · bank · prune · spring

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. staff — employees
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pop — soda
  5. drill — army training
  6. pop — to visit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pop — music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. staff — employees
  12. spring — of water
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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