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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. object — to protest
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. march — the month
  9. net — after costs
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fine — all right
  14. object — an aim
  15. tear — from crying
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — a permit
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. object — a thing
  23. wax — to grow
  24. march — the month

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