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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · face · march · bowl · cap · pass

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. face — to point toward
  4. march — the month
  5. tear — to rip
  6. face — to confront
  7. pass — a permit
  8. march — the month
  9. cap — a hat
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. face — part of the head
  13. march — music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bowl — a dish

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