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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: lie · kid · track · squash · march · can · spell · date

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. track — a song
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lie — to recline
  5. can — a tin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. kid — child
  8. track — a path
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. date — the fruit
  14. march — music
  15. spell — letters
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — magic
  18. track — to keep track
  19. can — to be able to
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — a tin
  24. squash — to crush

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