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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. date — the fruit
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — the month
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mark — a trace
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bulb — for light
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. face — to confront
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. can — to be able to
  21. march — the month
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pound — to hit hard

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