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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. march — the month
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tear — to rip
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stand — to bear
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. march — music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rock — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — a stone
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. safe — a strongbox

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