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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: bass · pass · straw · lean · bound · kick · bulb · dip

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. kick — in football
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lean — thin
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. dip — to dunk

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