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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. season — in sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rock — music
  7. march — the month
  8. season — of the year
  9. band — a music group
  10. march — the month
  11. fine — high quality
  12. band — a ring
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rock — a stone
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. saw — the tool

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