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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. march — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — to get on
  7. scale — size or range
  8. march — the month
  9. track — a path
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. plane — a tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — a committee
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. track — a song
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — in music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. march — the month
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. hide — animal skin

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