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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cap — a lid
  8. march — the month
  9. wound — an injury
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. sharp — clever
  18. march — music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. present — there
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cap — of ice
  23. present — a gift
  24. sharp — with an edge

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