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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
468
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: spring · mug · march · wax · mine · ruler

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. spring — of water
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mug — a face
  10. march — music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mug — to rob

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