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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: march · wax · cap · mouse · bat · bank · stick · plane

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — a tool
  16. march — the month
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. march — the month
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bank — for money
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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