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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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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 · lash · toast · pass · stem · fall · shower · jam

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. shower — rain
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stem — to come from
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. toast — bread
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fall — the season
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pass — to succeed

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