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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.

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: march · saw · wave · wax · bore · racket · face · stand

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bore — to tire
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. march — the month
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — to point toward
  19. march — music
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. face — to confront
  24. saw — the tool

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