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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.

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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 · ball · rule · fork · wave · firm · hide

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. march — the month
  10. ball — a dance
  11. firm — decided
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pass — a permit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rule — government
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rule — a law
  20. march — the month
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. march — music
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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