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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 can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bass — low music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lean — thin
  12. mug — a face
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cap — of ice
  24. chip — in a computer

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