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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.

Make a worksheet

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: march · prune · calf · jam · patient · lash · capital · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. march — music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. capital — money
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. march — the month
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. march — the month
  24. capital — a city

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