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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lean — thin
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — to grow
  14. track — a song
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. track — a path
  23. march — music
  24. lean — to rest against

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