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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 · mark · roll · rash · band · face · mouse · bass

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rash — a series
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. roll — a list
  10. band — a music group
  11. face — to confront
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rash — hasty
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bass — low music
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bass — the fish
  20. band — a ring
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. face — part of the head

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