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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. march — the month
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. last — finally
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — thin
  12. last — final
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bulb — for light
  15. march — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pass — to spend time

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