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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: trunk · sharp · mouse · club · lie · wax · march · pass

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. club — a group
  3. march — the month
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. march — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. march — the month
  10. club — for golf
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wax — to grow
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a car

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