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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. lean — thin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. content — the amount
  7. lean — to bend
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wax — to grow
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a music group
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. content — happy
  17. band — a ring
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. can — a tin
  22. march — music
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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