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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: bear · leaves · bowl · prune · arm · wax · spring · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spring — the season
  5. march — the month
  6. spring — of water
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. spring — a coil
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wax — to grow

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