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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 120 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: mine · spring · rush · pit · lash · saw · kick · pass

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. spring — the season
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. spring — of water
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spring — a coil
  24. saw — the tool

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