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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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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: wind · dip · straw · pass · staff · march · leaves · temple

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wind — moving air
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. dip — to sink
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wind — to turn a key

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