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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: season · dip · leaves · root · march · spring · calf · pass

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. march — music
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. season — in sport
  9. root — of a plant
  10. spring — a coil
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spring — the season
  13. pass — a permit
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — of a word
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. season — of the year
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. spring — of water
  24. root — the cause

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