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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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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. march — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. band — a music group
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. band — a ring
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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