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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.

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: can · spell · fine · lie · rash · march · sharp · capital

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. fine — all right
  2. sharp — clever
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. march — music
  6. spell — magic
  7. capital — money
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rash — hasty
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. capital — a city
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lie — to recline
  19. march — the month
  20. rash — a series
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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