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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. current — electric
  4. season — in sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. current — happening now
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — of water
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. club — for dancing
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. club — a group
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. club — for golf
  19. spring — of water
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spring — the season
  22. season — of the year
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lash — an eyelash

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