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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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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: rash · pass · wake · content · row · straw · fall · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rash — a series
  3. content — the amount
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. row — a line
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fall — the season
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. content — happy
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fall — to drop
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pass — a permit
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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