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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · spell · march · deal · wave · trunk · chair · fine

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spell — magic
  4. march — music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spell — letters
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spell — a short time
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fine — a penalty

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