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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.

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: mate · bulb · lean · bass · pass · kick · squash · land

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bass — low music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. land — to come down
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mate — to breed
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lean — thin
  17. pass — a permit
  18. land — a country
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. lean — to bend
  24. land — ground

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