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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: mine · rush · lash · roll · key · pass · wake · court

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. court — of law
  9. roll — a cake
  10. court — of a king
  11. rush — hurry
  12. court — for sport
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wake — a trail
  18. roll — a list
  19. key — in music
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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