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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: spell · wave · hide · lash · march · mine · tear · track

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — a song
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — letters
  7. track — a path
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. track — to keep track
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spell — magic
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. march — music
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spell — a short time
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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