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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. march — the month
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. march — the month
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. march — music
  15. last — finally
  16. spell — letters
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. spell — magic

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