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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. file — a document
  6. wax — to grow
  7. file — a tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. craft — boats
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. file — a line of people
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. roll — a cake
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pit — in a race
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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