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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: coach · lie · bear · march · date · pass · mate · clip

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mate — a partner
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. clip — a video
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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