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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: leaves · fall · jam · sharp · march · firm · hide · rash

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. firm — steady
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. firm — decided
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. march — music
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rash — hasty
  18. firm — a company
  19. march — the month
  20. sharp — clever
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. march — the month
  23. rash — a series
  24. sharp — exactly

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