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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pound — a weight
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mark — a trace
  8. toast — bread
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bound — certain
  18. wax — in the ear

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