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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.

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: present · march · trunk · lie · wax · perch · cap · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. present — the time now
  3. march — music
  4. cap — a hat
  5. present — there
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. march — the month
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. march — the month
  13. present — a gift
  14. net — for catching
  15. wax — to grow
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. net — after costs
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cap — of ice
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cap — a lid

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