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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.

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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rash — a series
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — there
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fall — the season
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. present — a gift
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — the time now
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ball — a dance

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