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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 120 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: spring · pass · march · leaves · net · tube · ruler · stick

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. march — the month
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tube — a container
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. march — music
  18. spring — the season
  19. march — the month
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tube — the underground
  23. net — for catching
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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