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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: chip · stand · rush · content · bass · lean · saw · pass

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bass — low music
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pass — a permit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lean — thin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. content — the amount

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