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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 · pass · mug · rush · content · kid · kick · rest

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. content — happy
  11. mug — a face
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kid — child
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bass — low music
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rest — a break

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