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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: lean · pass · spell · kid · rush · shower · bass · firm

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. firm — a company
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. firm — steady
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. firm — decided
  10. pass — a permit
  11. shower — to wash
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. bass — low music
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — thin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. kid — to tease
  19. spell — magic
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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