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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 116 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: fall · march · row · sharp · dip · can · coach · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. can — a tin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. dip — to sink
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. fall — to drop
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — music
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. row — to paddle
  22. can — to be able to
  23. coach — a trainer
  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