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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. march — music
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — the month
  12. fork — in a road
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. march — the month
  16. lean — thin
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bulb — of a plant

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