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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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 — a short time
  2. bank — of a river
  3. march — the month
  4. band — a ring
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — a break
  21. band — a music group
  22. squash — the sport
  23. calf — of the leg
  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