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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. march — the month
  3. rest — a break
  4. march — music
  5. chest — a box
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. march — the month
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rest — what's left
  10. roll — a list
  11. game — a match
  12. rest — what's left
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. roll — a cake
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. game — wild animals
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. pass — a permit

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