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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. march — music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. march — the month
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. march — the month
  13. club — for golf
  14. wax — to grow
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. stock — shares
  19. club — a group
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spell — letters
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stock — goods
  24. wax — for sculpting

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