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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. saw — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. spring — of water
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — the month
  9. drill — the tool
  10. march — music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. lean — thin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. club — for golf
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spring — the season
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wax — in the ear

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