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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pass — a permit
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. row — a line
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ground — crushed
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fine — high quality
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. march — music
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fine — all right
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. spell — letters

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