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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. staff — employees
  3. pass — a permit
  4. face — to point toward
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mug — a cup
  7. can — a tin
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mug — to rob
  11. march — the month
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. face — part of the head
  16. march — music
  17. mug — a face
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. shower — rain
  20. face — to confront
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. can — a tin

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