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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. key — in music
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bound — obliged
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rule — government
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rule — a law
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bound — certain
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — child

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