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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wax — to grow
  14. craft — boats
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. march — the month
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fall — the season

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