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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: mark · sharp · mug · march · wax · content · racket · fall

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mug — a face
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — a grade
  9. march — music
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. content — happy
  12. march — the month
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. content — the amount
  15. fall — the season
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wax — to grow
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mug — a cup
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mark — a trace

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