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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. march — the month
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. band — a ring
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. tube — a container
  16. march — music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. band — a music group
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wax — to grow
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wind — moving air

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