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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: mate · wave · mark · bass · current · roll · rash · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bass — low music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rash — a series
  15. current — happening now
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. current — electric
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mark — a grade
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. current — of water
  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