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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. last — finally
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. last — to go on
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. last — final
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bound — certain
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wake — a trail
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — a supporter

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