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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. march — the month
  4. present — a gift
  5. wax — to grow
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. present — the time now
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. march — music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. craft — boats
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. present — there
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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