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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. current — happening now
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rule — government
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bound — certain
  9. rule — a law
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fine — all right
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wax — for sculpting

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