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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 120 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: firm · march · pass · bay · plane · rash · bear · lie

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. firm — decided
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. march — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. plane — a tool
  10. march — the month
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. firm — a company
  20. march — the month
  21. rash — hasty
  22. firm — steady
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — to succeed

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