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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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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spell — magic
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rush — hurry
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pit — in a race
  13. march — the month
  14. spell — letters
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. march — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wake — before a funeral

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