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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stand — to bear
  15. march — the month
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. race — humankind
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. calf — of the leg

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