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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 124 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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rule — government
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. march — music
  7. land — to come down
  8. march — the month
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. bulb — for light
  13. land — a country
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rest — what's left
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. land — ground
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rule — a law
  23. band — a music group
  24. bulb — for light

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