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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rest — a break
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bound — certain
  19. rock — music
  20. date — the fruit
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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