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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 120 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: capital · wax · march · swing · kick · stand · plane · mark

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kick — in football
  7. mark — a trace
  8. swing — music
  9. capital — money
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wax — to grow
  17. capital — a city
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mark — a grade
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stand — for spectators

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