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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · mate · wax · stock · current · roll · march · lean

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. current — electric
  3. march — the month
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mate — a friend
  8. current — happening now
  9. roll — a list
  10. march — the month
  11. lean — thin
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stock — goods
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. current — of water
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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