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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. march — the month
  3. game — a match
  4. march — the month
  5. track — a path
  6. wake — a trail
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. game — wild animals
  17. track — a song
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. march — music
  22. file — a tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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