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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.

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: racket · rash · rest · leaves · march · spell · present · mouse

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — a break
  4. present — a gift
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spell — letters
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. present — the time now
  14. march — the month
  15. rash — a series
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — hasty
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — there
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mouse — 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