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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bank · staff · pass · mate · firm · saw · mouse

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. march — the month
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. firm — a company
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bank — for money
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mate — a friend
  16. march — music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — employees
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mate — a partner
  23. staff — employees
  24. march — the month

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