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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: last · kid · suit · march · stand · season · fall · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fall — to drop
  3. last — final
  4. fall — the season
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stand — to bear
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kid — child
  13. march — the month
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. last — finally
  17. season — in sport
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. suit — clothes
  20. last — to go on
  21. kid — to tease
  22. march — music
  23. season — of the year
  24. suit — to fit

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