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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mark — a grade
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bound — certain
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers

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