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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: squash · march · dip · nail · calf · bore · wind · spell

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. march — the month
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. march — the month
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bore — to tire
  13. squash — to crush
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. nail — for a hammer

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