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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 · ground · straw · march · suit · bulb · bank · cue

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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. suit — in cards
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ground — a position
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bank — for money
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bank — for money
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — a signal

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