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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · spell · stand · stick · march · mouse · last · lie

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. last — finally
  10. lie — to recline
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. march — music
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. march — the month
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — to bear

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