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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 116 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. capital — a city
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mug — a face
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. march — the month
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. capital — money
  16. fall — the season
  17. pass — a permit
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. march — the month
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fall — to drop
  23. firm — steady
  24. pass — to spend time

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