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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: pass · mark · wind · tube · bass · dip · shower · chest

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pass — a permit
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chest — of your body
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tube — a container
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bass — low music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wind — moving air
  24. dip — to dunk

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