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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. march — the month
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. foot — a measure
  16. march — music
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mark — a grade

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