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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. firm — a company
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. firm — steady
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cold — not warm
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — in music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cold — an illness
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. firm — decided
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. perch — the fish
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. march — the month
  24. key — for a lock

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