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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 120 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: spell · dip · bank · march · coach · pass · tear · staff

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. march — the month
  4. tear — from crying
  5. staff — employees
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bank — for money
  8. tear — to rip
  9. march — the month
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spell — letters
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. march — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — a short time
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bank — of a river

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