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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. march — music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — a song
  9. hand — in cards
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bark — to shout
  12. track — a path
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pit — in a race
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pit — a hole
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. hand — help

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