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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. march — music
  7. court — of law
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. march — the month
  11. court — for sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lean — thin
  15. face — to confront
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. court — of a king
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ball — a great time
  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