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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bound — obliged
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bound — tied together
  7. firm — steady
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wax — to grow
  16. kid — child
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fall — the season
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — to drop

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