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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: fine · fan · leaves · wax · fork · mark · march · ball

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. march — the month
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fine — all right
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. march — music

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