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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 it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. object — an aim
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wax — to grow
  10. march — music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. object — to protest
  16. rock — music
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. object — a thing
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lie — to recline
  22. march — the month
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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