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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: march · rush · band · suit · straw · temple · fork · spell

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. suit — clothes
  4. march — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. spell — magic
  7. rush — hurry
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. march — the month
  10. spell — letters
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. march — the month
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. spell — a short time
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. band — a music group
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. suit — in cards

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