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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: rock · patient · squash · march · cap · bulb · wax · mate

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wax — to grow
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mate — a friend
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mate — a partner
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wax — in the ear

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