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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: wound · wax · fan · march · mate · race · bass · foot

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. race — a contest
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. march — the month
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. race — humankind
  11. march — music
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bass — low music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. foot — a measure

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