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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bound — certain
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bound — obliged
  6. field — a subject
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. snap — to click
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. board — to get on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. field — farmland
  13. chair — a leader
  14. field — for sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bound — tied together
  20. board — a committee
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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