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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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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: pass · plane · rule · patient · mouse · prune · bass · lash

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rule — government
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rule — a law
  24. bass — low music

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