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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bound — certain
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spell — letters
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kick — in football
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. last — final
  20. spell — magic
  21. fine — all right
  22. last — to go on
  23. bound — obliged
  24. last — finally

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