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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. march — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. craft — boats
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bore — to tire
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. prune — to trim
  24. march — the month

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