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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: charge · pass · bass · spring · march · stand · stick · wake

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wake — a trail
  5. charge — in control
  6. march — music
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. spring — of water
  12. march — the month
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. spring — the season
  16. bass — low music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. charge — a price
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the fish
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pass — a permit

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