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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. present — there
  4. fine — all right
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fall — the season
  11. bound — tied together
  12. present — a gift
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bound — certain
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. present — the time now
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fork — to eat with

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