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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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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: tube · last · spring · suit · spell · pitcher · march · lash

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. spell — letters
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — of water
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. last — finally
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tube — a container
  12. last — to go on
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tube — the underground
  16. march — the month
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. last — final
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spell — magic
  23. spring — the season
  24. march — music

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