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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. staff — a stick
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rule — government
  10. object — an aim
  11. march — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. spell — letters
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wax — to grow
  20. staff — employees
  21. rule — a law
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — employees
  24. cell — in a prison

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