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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.

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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 · wave · snap · tear · last · spell · toast · pit

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. last — finally
  7. toast — bread
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. snap — to click
  11. spell — letters
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. march — music
  17. tear — to rip
  18. march — the month
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. last — final
  21. march — the month
  22. spell — magic
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pit — in a race

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