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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — to protest
  5. march — the month
  6. object — an aim
  7. march — music
  8. object — a thing
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mate — a friend
  11. march — the month
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fork — in a road
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mate — a partner
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wax — to grow

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