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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.

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: roll · tube · lie · bear · stick · pass · bass · rash

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — low music
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rash — a series
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tube — a container
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. roll — on a roll

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