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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. game — a match
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — a container
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bound — certain
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. last — final
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. game — wild animals
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. trunk — of a tree

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