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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. dip — to sink
  7. march — the month
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rash — a series
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wake — a trail
  20. march — music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. straw — a straw man

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