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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · lash · bass · pass · cold · date · net · ruler

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. net — for catching
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bass — the fish
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. current — happening now
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bass — low music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cold — the Cold War

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