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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. last — finally
  5. spell — letters
  6. march — the month
  7. sharp — clever
  8. last — to go on
  9. rush — hurry
  10. last — final
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. field — farmland
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mug — to rob
  21. march — the month
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. march — music
  24. mug — a face

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