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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pound — a weight
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. object — an aim
  11. wound — an injury
  12. march — music
  13. object — a thing
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wound — an injury
  17. object — to protest
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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