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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: row · march · season · temple · perch · spell · mug · nail

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — in sport
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — magic
  8. mug — a face
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mug — to rob
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. spell — letters
  19. perch — the fish
  20. march — the month
  21. row — a line
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — of the year
  24. row — to paddle

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