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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. object — an aim
  6. charge — in control
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wax — to grow
  15. charge — a price
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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