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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rule — government
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rule — a law
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. board — a committee
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bound — certain
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — a supporter

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