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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: drill · bass · shower · last · spell · pass · sharp · fan

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bass — low music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. shower — to wash
  7. drill — a practice
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. last — finally
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. drill — army training
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. last — final
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spell — magic
  19. last — to go on
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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