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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bound — certain
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ball — a dance
  8. game — a match
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. game — wild animals
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kick — in football
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bound — obliged

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