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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fall — the season
  4. wax — to grow
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rash — a series
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fall — to drop

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