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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · stick · chest · dip · fine · wax · saw · pitcher

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. chest — of your body
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fine — all right
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — the month
  17. wax — to grow
  18. march — music
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chest — a box
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pitcher — a jug

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