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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: nail · march · straw · cell · stick · season · wax · pop

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. season — of the year
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pop — soda
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pop — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wax — to grow
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pop — to visit
  15. march — music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. season — in sport
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cell — a phone
  22. march — the month
  23. straw — dry grass
  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