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

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. current — of water
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — completely
  5. band — a music group
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. band — a ring
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. current — happening now
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. current — electric
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. march — 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