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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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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: rush · wind · mine · pop · pass · bay · pound · nail

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. nail — on a finger

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