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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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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: wave · game · march · bore · pass · wax

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. march — the month
  13. game — a match
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wave — of the sea

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