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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · bowl · pass · bass · leaves · key · trunk · row

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. row — to paddle
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fall — to drop
  11. row — a line
  12. pass — a permit
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. key — for a lock
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fall — the season
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bass — low music
  24. key — the most important part

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