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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mine · rash · hide · pop · content · spring · bay

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. spring — of water
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pop — soda
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. content — happy
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — the amount
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. spring — the season
  20. pop — music
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. spring — a coil

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