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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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 spend time
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. last — to go on
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. mark — a trace
  12. last — final
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. last — finally
  15. shower — rain
  16. mark — a grade
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pass — a permit
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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