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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: pass · tear · date · fall · leaves · bass · object · rash

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. object — a thing
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. tear — from crying
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bass — the fish
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fall — to drop
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fall — the season
  24. pass — to spend time

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