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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bass — low music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. suit — clothes
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. march — the month
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. march — the month
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — a place of worship

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