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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. saw — the tool
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. spring — of water
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mug — to rob
  9. field — for sport
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mug — a cup
  14. toast — bread
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — a face
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. march — the month
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spring — the season
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. mark — to pay attention

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