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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bass — low music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. current — of water
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. plane — a tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. rash — a series
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. date — the fruit
  23. current — electric
  24. date — on the calendar

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