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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: rush · stem · bass · date · drill · pass · plane · bat

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bat — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bass — low music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. date — the fruit
  22. drill — army training
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. drill — the tool

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