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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. craft — boats
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. pop — music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tube — the underground
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. march — the month
  18. pop — soda
  19. date — the fruit
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. march — the month
  24. wax — to grow

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