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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wax — to grow
  10. march — the month
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. scale — in music
  15. pop — soda
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. march — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. snap — to click
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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