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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. march — the month
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wax — to grow

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