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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 116 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: pass · stem · fall · bass · rash · bowl · hide · mine

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bass — low music
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — a series
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. bowl — a football final

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