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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — money
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bound — tied together
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. capital — a city
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ball — a dance
  19. game — a match
  20. lie — to recline
  21. content — happy
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ball — a round shape

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