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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: ball · bear · rash · rush · pass · cell · kid · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rash — a series
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — child
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rush — to hurry

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