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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: bowl · chip · bear · chest · pass · march · rush · last

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. march — the month
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chest — a box
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. march — the month
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chip — for betting
  16. last — final
  17. chip — to eat
  18. last — to go on
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. last — finally
  21. march — music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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