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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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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: pass · pitcher · bear · lie · last · jam · rash · squash

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. last — finally
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. last — final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — hasty
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rash — a series
  21. last — to go on
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. squash — to crush
  24. jam — a tight spot

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