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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
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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: mark · branch · fan · firm · march · drill · wax · craft

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. drill — a practice
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. firm — decided
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. craft — boats
  8. drill — army training
  9. mark — a grade
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. march — music
  12. branch — a division
  13. wax — to grow
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mark — a trace
  17. drill — the tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. firm — a company
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. march — the month

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