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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: rest · pass · dip · stock · march · tear · kick · rock

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rock — music
  3. kick — in football
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stock — goods
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pass — a permit
  15. march — music
  16. rest — a break
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. march — the month
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. march — the month
  24. tear — from crying

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