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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.

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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rush — hurry
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bass — low music
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bank — of a river
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bank — for money
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. game — a match
  24. foot — a measure

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