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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. march — music
  3. present — the time now
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hand — in cards
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bound — tied together
  12. march — the month
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. present — there
  17. hand — help
  18. march — the month
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. present — a gift
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kick — in football
  24. safe — a strongbox

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