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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: pass · mouse · lie · squash · drill · bass · rash · mug

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. squash — to crush
  3. rash — a series
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mug — a cup
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. drill — army training
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mug — a face
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bass — the instrument
  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