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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: kid · pass · mouse · fine · wave · ground · march · lean

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ground — crushed
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. march — music
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. kid — child
  14. ground — a position
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lean — thin
  22. fine — all right
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — to bend

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