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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. march — the month
  3. track — a song
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. chest — a box
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ball — a great time
  9. chest — of your body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. march — music
  19. rule — a law
  20. chest — of your body
  21. march — the month
  22. wax — to grow
  23. suit — in cards
  24. nail — on a finger

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