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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. march — music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. march — the month
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. march — the month
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ground — the earth
  13. season — in sport
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rock — music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rock — a stone
  21. season — of the year
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ground — a position

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