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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bound — certain
  7. capital — money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. bound — tied together
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chair — a leader
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fall — the season
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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