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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: spell · bear · band · rush · land · object · march · cabinet

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bear — the animal
  3. march — the month
  4. land — a country
  5. spell — magic
  6. object — an aim
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — hurry
  9. object — a thing
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. band — a ring
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. object — to protest
  19. march — music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — the animal
  24. band — a music group

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