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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: bass · mate · cabinet · pass · lash · spring · straw · current

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spring — a coil
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. current — happening now
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. current — electric
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. current — of water
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — of water
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — low music
  20. mate — a friend
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. spring — the season

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