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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 · fan · bass · roll · fall · temple · rush · jam

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bass — low music
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bass — the fish
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. roll — a list
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. temple — a place of worship

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