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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: pass · saw · wound · lash · mark · pop · bass · track

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bass — low music
  7. track — a song
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — to visit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. track — a path

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