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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: leaves · wax · fall · press · stock · craft · march · fine

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. press — to push
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fall — the season
  16. craft — boats
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stock — shares
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — goods
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fall — to drop

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