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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. key — in music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rock — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lean — to bend
  14. plane — a tool
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rock — a stone

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