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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: hand · last · land · lash · pass · wind · mouse · fine

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fine — all right
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wind — moving air
  15. last — finally
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fine — high quality
  18. hand — help
  19. last — to go on
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. land — to come down
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. hand — in cards
  24. last — final

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