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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rash — hasty
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. firm — a company
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bound — certain
  22. snap — to click
  23. rash — a series
  24. dip — to sink

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