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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. firm — steady
  4. cold — an illness
  5. march — music
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cold — not warm
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. march — the month
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. march — the month
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. season — of the year
  20. firm — a company
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. season — in sport
  24. lash — an eyelash

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