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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.

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: row · hide · pass · cap · lean · mate · march · pitcher

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. march — the month
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lean — thin
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mate — a partner
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. march — music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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