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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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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: lie · swing · pass · lash · bass · wind · fall · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. swing — music
  7. fall — the season
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — low music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rule — a law
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lie — to recline

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