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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. present — the time now
  3. branch — a division
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. present — a gift
  7. march — the month
  8. object — a thing
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. object — an aim
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. march — the month
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — there
  16. wax — to grow
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — to protest
  20. foot — a measure
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. branch — of a bank

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