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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bound — tied together
  5. key — in music
  6. rest — a break
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cold — not warm
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wax — to grow
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bound — certain

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