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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: rest · march · spell · key · wake · swing · mouse · bound

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. key — in music
  3. march — the month
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. march — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rest — a break
  18. march — the month
  19. swing — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rest — what's left
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bound — obliged

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