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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. swing — music
  3. staff — employees
  4. mug — to rob
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. march — the month
  10. swing — in golf
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. swing — to play on
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. date — the fruit
  18. kick — in football
  19. root — of a word
  20. mug — a cup
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. march — music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mug — a face

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