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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: wax · march · season · roll · temple · foot · fall · stick

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. season — of the year
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fall — to drop
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — the season
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. foot — a measure
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — in sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. roll — a list
  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