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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. drill — a practice
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. drill — the tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wax — to grow
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. drill — army training
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. march — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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