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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rush — hurry
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pass — a permit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — the month
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. last — final
  17. march — music
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. last — to go on
  24. pass — to succeed

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