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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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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 · pound · bass · trunk · lie · race · rash · straw

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rash — a series
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lie — to recline
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pound — a weight
  18. race — humankind
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pass — to succeed

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