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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: spring · bowl · lean · craft · straw · wax · march · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spring — the season
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — thin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. craft — boats
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. march — music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. march — the month
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lean — to bend
  23. march — the month
  24. wax — for sculpting

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