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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 · spell · dip · face · mate · arm · object · wound

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — a friend
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — an injury
  6. object — an aim
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mate — to breed
  11. object — a thing
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. object — to protest
  14. spell — a short time
  15. march — the month
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — to confront
  18. spell — magic
  19. march — music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. face — part of the head
  22. spell — letters
  23. wound — an injury
  24. dip — a sauce

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