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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. net — for catching
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. net — after costs
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mug — a face
  12. drill — army training
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — a practice
  17. net — in sport
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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