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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bass — low music
  3. march — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. march — the month
  6. spell — letters
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — to recline
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. march — the month
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chair — a leader
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — the fish
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. spell — magic
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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