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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bound — certain
  9. staff — employees
  10. rest — what's left
  11. staff — a stick
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. rest — what's left
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rest — a break
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wax — to grow

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