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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. charge — electricity
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. season — of the year
  13. charge — a price
  14. club — a group
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. club — for golf
  20. charge — in control
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. club — for dancing
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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