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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 120 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wax — to grow
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bound — certain
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. degree — an amount
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. degree — temperature
  24. chip — to eat

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