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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bound — certain
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. present — the time now
  6. spring — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. present — there
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fall — the season
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wax — to grow
  20. track — a path
  21. present — a gift
  22. track — a song
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mouse — the animal

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