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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: ground · fall · current · pass · march · perch · spring · toast

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spring — a coil
  3. ground — crushed
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. current — electric
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ground — a position
  11. current — of water
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ground — the earth
  15. perch — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. fall — the season
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. toast — bread
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. current — happening now
  24. toast — the most admired

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