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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 116 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: fine · swing · mug · pass · spring · mine · last · dip

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mug — to rob
  5. swing — in golf
  6. spring — a coil
  7. swing — music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mug — a cup
  13. spring — of water
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. swing — to play on
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fine — all right
  23. mug — a face
  24. spring — the season

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