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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. march — music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lean — to bend
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pound — a weight
  9. craft — boats
  10. lean — thin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cabinet — ministers

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