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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. rule — government
  6. object — to protest
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cue — a hint
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. object — a thing
  14. cue — a signal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rule — a law
  24. lean — thin

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