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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a partner
  4. last — to go on
  5. march — the month
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — final
  10. march — the month
  11. stock — shares
  12. spell — letters
  13. last — finally
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — goods
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. march — music
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stock — a soup base

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