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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. court — of a king
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. march — the month
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. march — the month
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lean — thin
  12. court — for sport
  13. firm — a company
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. court — of law
  16. firm — steady
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. drill — army training
  19. branch — a division
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. firm — decided
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. lean — to bend

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