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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rule — government
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — certain
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wax — to grow
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rule — a law
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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