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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. root — the cause
  3. net — in sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. ball — a dance
  8. firm — decided
  9. net — after costs
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. net — for catching
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. firm — steady
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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