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

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. tube — the underground
  3. march — the month
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitch — completely
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. land — a country
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rash — a series
  11. land — ground
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. march — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. march — the month
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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