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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. march — music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stand — to bear
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rock — a stone
  7. court — of law
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. court — for sport
  11. rock — music
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. face — to confront
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wax — to grow
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bank — for money
  24. sharp — with an edge

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