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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. last — final
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. march — music
  9. last — finally
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — a permit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mark — a grade
  22. last — to go on
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bear — to put up with

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