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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 120 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
468
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: bass · rush · row · can · file · pass · mine · bowl

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pass — a permit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. can — a tin
  14. file — a document
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. file — a tool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. file — a line of people
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. can — a tin

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