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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 116 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: wave · spell · cell · safe · march · sharp · squash · wound

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. sharp — clever
  3. march — the month
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spell — letters
  6. march — music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. spell — a short time
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spell — magic
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cell — a phone
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cell — in biology
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. squash — the vegetable

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