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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. march — the month
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — to go on
  5. firm — a company
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. staff — a stick
  10. last — final
  11. march — the month
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. staff — employees
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. last — finally
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. march — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. staff — employees
  23. firm — steady
  24. pit — a hole

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