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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: march · tear · craft · swing · wax · fork · mouse · bowl

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wax — to grow
  4. swing — in golf
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. tear — from crying
  7. craft — a skill
  8. march — music
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tear — to rip
  11. march — the month
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fork — in a road
  15. march — the month
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. swing — music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. craft — boats

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