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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · tear · wave · pass · lie · bass

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. roll — a cake
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bass — low music
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bass — the instrument

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