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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stand — to bear
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. can — a tin
  13. spring — the season
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — of water
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. march — the month
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. march — music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fall — the season

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