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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: shower · straw · pit · saw · rush · pass · ball · bass

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pit — in a race
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bass — low music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pass — to succeed

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