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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ground — a position
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cap — a hat

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