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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. march — the month
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. band — a music group
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wake — a trail
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pound — a weight
  15. band — a ring
  16. march — music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lie — to recline
  21. scale — in music
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lie — an untruth

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