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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: suit · perch · march · court · date · wax · spring · plane

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. plane — a tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. date — the fruit
  7. march — the month
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. spring — a coil
  12. court — for sport
  13. wax — to grow
  14. spring — of water
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. march — the month
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. spring — the season
  23. suit — clothes
  24. march — music

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