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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.

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: leaves · march · pop · plane · sharp · spell · lie · pound

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pop — music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — a weight
  7. spell — magic
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spell — letters
  12. march — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. march — the month
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. spell — a short time

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