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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: mouse · march · capital · mine · spell · wave · pass · arm

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse 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. spell — a short time
  2. march — the month
  3. spell — letters
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. capital — a city
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. capital — money
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mine — for digging
  23. spell — magic
  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