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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wax — to grow
  3. file — a tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. march — the month
  6. file — a document
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. march — music
  10. file — a line of people
  11. court — of a king
  12. march — the month
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. court — for sport
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. swing — music
  18. court — of law
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mark — a trace
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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