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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: chest · rush · bass · pass · face · key · fan · land

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. land — a country
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rush — hurry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. key — the most important part
  18. land — ground
  19. face — to confront
  20. key — in music
  21. chest — a box
  22. key — for a lock
  23. land — to come down
  24. fan — a supporter

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