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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: pop · suit · bass · wake · pass · march · tear · lash

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pop — soda
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tear — from crying
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pop — music
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. tear — to rip
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. suit — clothes
  16. march — the month
  17. bass — low music
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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