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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: board · tear · press · march · mate · mouse · spell · ball

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mate — a partner
  7. march — the month
  8. spell — magic
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mate — to breed
  11. board — a committee
  12. press — newspapers
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ball — a dance
  16. spell — a short time
  17. tear — to rip
  18. spell — letters
  19. board — to get on
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ball — a round shape

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