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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. track — a path
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. march — the month
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fall — the season
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. march — music
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. present — a gift
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pass — a permit

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