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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.

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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: stick · prune · file · pass · bay · chair · bass · cabinet

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chair — a leader
  18. file — a document
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bass — low music

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