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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wax — to grow
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. swing — in golf
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. swing — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pass — a permit
  14. march — music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. march — the month
  19. dip — to sink
  20. shower — rain
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cue — a signal

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