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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: bass · bound · bear · wax · pass · hand · march · lie

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. bound — certain
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hand — help
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. march — music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pass — a permit
  19. march — the month
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. march — the month
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bound — obliged
  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