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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — to keep track
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. craft — a skill
  10. current — electric
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. face — to confront
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. craft — boats
  18. track — a path
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. track — a song
  22. current — of water
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wax — in the ear

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