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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rest — what's left
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. roll — a list
  8. rest — what's left
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kick — in football
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. band — a music group
  15. bound — certain
  16. band — a ring
  17. row — to paddle
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rest — a break
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. 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