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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.

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: arm · wax · face · stick · roll · march · season · fine

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. face — to confront
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. season — in sport
  8. march — the month
  9. face — to point toward
  10. march — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. roll — a list
  17. fine — all right
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. march — the month
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. face — part of the head
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fine — high quality

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