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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: can · wind · lie · dip · rash · pass · ball · bass

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. can — a tin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. can — to be able to
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pass — a permit
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. can — a tin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rash — a series
  24. lie — an untruth

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