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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
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: bank · mouse · chest · pass · last · hand · bay · bass

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. last — to go on
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. hand — help
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bank — for money
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. last — final
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — finally
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chest — of your body

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