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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: race · present · pass · ground · march · file · lie · leaves

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. file — a document
  3. lie — to recline
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ground — the earth
  6. present — a gift
  7. race — humankind
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. march — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. present — the time now
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — a contest
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. ground — a position
  18. file — a tool
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. file — a line of people
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ground — crushed
  24. present — there

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