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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. roll — a list
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. clip — to cut
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. suit — to fit
  12. march — music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. clip — a video
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. roll — a cake
  20. clip — for paper
  21. march — the month
  22. wake — a trail
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. suit — clothes

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