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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. march — music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. lie — to recline
  16. march — the month
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. firm — decided
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. wake — a trail

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