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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. firm — a company
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — a path
  9. firm — steady
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — finally
  13. track — a song
  14. last — to go on
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. last — final
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bound — certain
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. firm — decided

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