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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. file — a line of people
  4. march — the month
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. season — in sport
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. march — music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. file — a tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. march — the month

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