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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wax — to grow
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — to fit
  5. march — music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pop — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. march — the month
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pop — to visit
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. roll — a list
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pop — soda
  21. suit — in cards
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. suit — clothes

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