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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 · march · pitcher · stand · mark · leaves · saw · bank

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — for money
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. march — music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — of a river

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