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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 120 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
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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: pass · bulb · land · lie · bear · wax · bass · cell

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. land — a country
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. land — ground
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. land — to come down
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bass — low music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bulb — for light

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