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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mug — a face
  3. spell — letters
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pop — soda
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — music
  12. march — the month
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pop — music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fine — all right
  22. pop — to visit
  23. march — music
  24. fine — a penalty

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