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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — soda
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. march — the month
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. firm — decided
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pass — a permit
  19. march — the month
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. march — music

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