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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.

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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: pass · rush · wave · pop · bark · pitcher · band · lie

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. band — a ring
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pop — music
  19. bark — to shout
  20. band — a music group
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pop — soda

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