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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bound — certain
  3. hand — help
  4. stock — shares
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. hand — in cards
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. club — a group
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. club — for golf
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mate — a partner
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stock — goods
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lean — thin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lean — to bend

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