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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 116 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 · fall · fine · kick · pass · calf · bass · club

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. club — a group
  6. fall — the season
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. kick — in football
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bass — low music
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fall — to drop
  21. club — for golf
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. club — for dancing

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