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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lie · bass · game · key · stick · calf · wax

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. key — the most important part
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lie — to recline
  9. game — a match
  10. key — in music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — the month
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. key — for a lock
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — low music

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