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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: wax · plane · march · stand · wound · leaves · mark · spell

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wound — an injury
  3. march — music
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wound — an injury
  7. march — the month
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wax — to grow
  13. spell — magic
  14. stand — to bear
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spell — letters
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. march — the month
  24. wax — for sculpting

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