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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · file · lean · mark · march · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lean — thin
  5. march — the month
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wax — to grow
  8. march — the month
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. file — a line of people
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. march — music
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face

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