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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. band — a ring
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bear — the animal
  11. band — a music group
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bound — certain
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. track — a song
  19. bound — tied together
  20. track — a path
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bear — to put up with

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