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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.

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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. march — music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — to bear
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. spell — letters
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spell — magic
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. 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