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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spring · fine · lash · temple · pass · chair · press · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spring — the season
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fine — all right
  10. press — to push
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. spring — of water
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pass — a permit
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chair — a leader
  24. temple — a place of worship

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