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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: mug · wave · march · file · spell · rule · squash · prune

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. file — a document
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. march — the month
  6. file — a tool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. squash — the sport
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rule — a law
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spell — a short time
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mug — to rob
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spell — letters
  24. rule — government

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