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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: cold · hide · march · pop · wax · stand · mark · wave

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. march — music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mark — a grade
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stand — on your feet

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