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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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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: fall · saw · rush · bass · pass · season · rash · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rash — a series
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fall — the season
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — of the year
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bass — low music
  16. season — in sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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