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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: scale · prune · season · snap · temple · march · pop · wax

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. march — music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. scale — size or range
  10. march — the month
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — in sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. season — of the year
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. scale — in music
  24. prune — to trim

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