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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: march · last · craft · band · bear · calf · wax · object

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. craft — boats
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. band — a music group
  7. craft — a skill
  8. last — finally
  9. march — music
  10. object — an aim
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. last — final
  13. band — a ring
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. march — the month
  19. bear — the animal
  20. object — a thing
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. last — to go on
  24. object — to protest

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