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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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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: hide · bay · mark · march · chair · stick · wax · ruler

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wax — to grow
  20. march — the month
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mark — a grade
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mark — to pay attention

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