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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mark · leaves · march · swing · spell · key · foot · chest

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spell — letters
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. key — in music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. march — music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. march — the month
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mark — a trace
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spell — a short time
  18. swing — in golf
  19. chest — a box
  20. mark — a grade
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chest — of your body
  23. march — the month
  24. spell — magic

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