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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. kid — to tease
  4. current — of water
  5. bass — the fish
  6. march — the month
  7. current — electric
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rash — hasty
  11. current — happening now
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. face — to confront
  14. kid — child
  15. bore — to tire
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pass — a permit
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rash — a series
  20. bass — low music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. march — music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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