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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spell — letters
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. track — a path
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. content — the amount
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. track — a song
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. board — to get on
  18. bound — obliged
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. bound — certain
  23. board — a committee
  24. bulb — for light

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