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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. club — a group
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. can — a tin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rest — what's left
  14. march — music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rest — a break
  17. can — a tin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — a lid
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cap — a hat
  22. club — for golf
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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