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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 116 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: wound · bass · pass · lash · land · kid · band · charge

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. band — a ring
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. charge — in control
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. charge — a price
  13. land — to come down
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kid — to tease
  19. land — ground
  20. charge — electricity
  21. kid — child
  22. bass — low music
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. land — a country

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