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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: march · pass · safe · object · rash · wake · row · capital

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. capital — money
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. capital — a city
  16. pass — a permit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. rash — a series
  21. object — an aim
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. capital — a big letter
  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