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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wound — an injury
  3. last — finally
  4. bass — low music
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bass — the fish
  10. last — to go on
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. last — final
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rush — hurry
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pass — a permit

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