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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. roll — a list
  11. lie — to recline
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rush — hurry
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. roll — a cake

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