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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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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: wind · pass · game · march · lie · bay · bass · press

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. press — to push
  5. march — the month
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. march — music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — low music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — a match
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. march — the month
  22. wind — moving air
  23. press — a publisher
  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