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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: pound · content · sharp · pass · tear · bass · wake · lean

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bass — low music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lean — thin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. content — happy
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. sharp — clever
  20. content — the amount
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bass — the instrument

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