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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
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: march · fall · jam · pit · cabinet · wax · rash · wake

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rash — a series
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. march — music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. march — the month
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wake — a trail
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fall — the season
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fall — to drop
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. march — the month
  24. pit — in a race

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