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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: ground · toast · lash · mug · bank · game · file · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — a match
  6. pass — a permit
  7. file — a document
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. game — wild animals
  12. file — a tool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mug — to rob
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. file — a line of people
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bank — for money
  19. mug — a face
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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