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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — to sink
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. march — the month
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. march — music

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