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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wax — to grow
  3. face — to confront
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. march — the month
  8. foot — a measure
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. face — to point toward
  11. firm — a company
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. roll — a cake
  14. firm — decided
  15. face — part of the head
  16. key — for a lock
  17. march — the month
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. key — in music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. firm — steady

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