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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wax — to grow
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bound — tied together
  6. race — humankind
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. race — a contest
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — ground
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wound — an injury
  14. date — the fruit
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wax — for sculpting

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