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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. race — humankind
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fall — the season
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pass — a permit
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bass — low music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fall — to drop
  19. race — a contest
  20. season — of the year
  21. wind — moving air
  22. season — in sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mate — a partner

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