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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bound — certain
  3. mate — to breed
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bound — obliged
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wax — to grow
  14. court — of a king
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bound — tied together
  17. court — for sport
  18. safe — a strongbox

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