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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 116 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: object · straw · pass · ball · cell · season · hide · march

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. march — music
  3. cell — in biology
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pass — a permit
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ball — a great time
  12. march — the month
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. object — a thing
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a dance
  21. season — of the year
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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