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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: pound · spell · march · lash · ball · craft · object · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mate — a partner
  7. march — music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. object — a thing
  12. march — the month
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. craft — boats
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. object — to protest
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. craft — a skill
  21. object — an aim
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pound — a weight
  24. march — the month

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