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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bound — certain
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wax — to grow
  5. season — in sport
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. march — music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. band — a ring
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. bore — to tire
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rash — hasty
  18. season — of the year
  19. march — the month
  20. rash — a series
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. snap — to click

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