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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. march — the month
  3. fine — all right
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rush — hurry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — magic
  14. march — the month
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. march — music
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mark — a trace

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