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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: toast · march · present · snap · pass · pop · lash · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. toast — bread
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. snap — to click
  10. pop — music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pop — soda
  17. present — there
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mark — a grade
  20. march — the month
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. toast — the most admired

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