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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bore — to tire
  6. march — music
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bore — to drill
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. march — the month
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bark — to shout
  24. wax — in the ear

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