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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.

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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 · rule · season · spell · vault · march · sharp · ball

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wax — to grow
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spell — magic
  5. march — the month
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. season — of the year
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. march — the month
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. vault — a safe
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rule — government
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rule — a law
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. spell — letters
  22. season — in sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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