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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.

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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: last · squash · dip · mark · hide · bear · march · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. march — the month
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. march — music
  9. last — finally
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. spell — letters
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. march — the month
  18. spell — magic
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mark — a grade
  21. last — to go on
  22. mark — a trace
  23. last — final
  24. bear — the animal

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