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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 120 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: march · cabinet · wave · pitcher · lie · safe · spell · club

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. spell — letters
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — a group
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spell — a short time
  15. club — for dancing
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spell — magic
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lie — to recline
  24. march — the month

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