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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. march — music
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. march — the month
  8. last — finally
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rest — a break
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rest — what's left

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