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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: bear · hide · trunk · pass · content · race · march · cue

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. race — a contest
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. race — humankind
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pass — a permit
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — the arms race

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