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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fine — all right
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. band — a music group
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bound — certain
  21. fine — high quality
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. band — a ring
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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