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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.

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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: racket · face · march · fork · bear · wax · toast · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bear — the animal
  3. march — the month
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. face — to confront
  8. march — the month
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. spell — magic
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wax — to grow
  14. face — part of the head
  15. march — music
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fork — in a road
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. toast — bread
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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