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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. march — music
  3. spell — magic
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bank — of a river
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bank — for money
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spell — letters
  21. mug — a face
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fork — to eat with

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