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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: row · jam · bass · rash · temple · march · pass · leaves

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bass — low music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — a series
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. march — the month
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. row — a line
  18. pass — a permit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. march — music
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to spend time

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