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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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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: suit · nail · march · roll · mark · pass · bear · spring

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. roll — a cake
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. roll — a list
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pass — a permit
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. march — music

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