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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mate — a partner
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. clip — for paper
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. fine — all right
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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