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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: jam · mark · spell · plane · wax · pitcher · wake · march

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spell — letters
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mark — a trace
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wake — a trail
  17. spell — magic
  18. march — music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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