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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: land · toast · lash · spring · pass · calf · cue · roll

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. toast — bread
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. land — a country
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. land — ground
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pass — a permit
  15. land — to come down
  16. roll — a list
  17. spring — a coil
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cue — for pool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. roll — on a roll
  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