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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 120 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: calf · season · march · mark · vault · spell · mug · land

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. land — to come down
  5. spell — magic
  6. mug — a cup
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mark — a grade
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mark — a trace
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — a country
  16. spell — a short time
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spell — letters
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. land — ground
  21. march — the month
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. march — the month

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