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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stock — shares
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bound — tied together
  16. present — the time now
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. date — the fruit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stock — goods
  22. present — there
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. present — a gift

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