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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. bound — certain
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. last — final
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bound — tied together
  15. drill — army training
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. staff — a stick
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bound — obliged
  22. last — to go on
  23. calf — a young animal
  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