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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: mouse · spell · rest · pass · rash · drill · bass · race

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spell — letters
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. race — a contest
  5. rash — a series
  6. spell — magic
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rest — what's left
  15. race — humankind
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bass — low music
  19. spell — a short time
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pass — a permit
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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