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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bound — certain
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bound — tied together
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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