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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. march — music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chest — a box
  7. rock — music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spell — magic
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hand — help
  12. march — the month
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spell — letters
  16. rash — a series
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rash — hasty
  20. march — the month
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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