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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. mark — a grade
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. face — part of the head
  11. degree — from a university
  12. squash — the sport
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. face — to point toward
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. branch — a division
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. degree — an amount
  21. spell — magic
  22. degree — temperature
  23. face — to confront
  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