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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bound — tied together
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pound — a weight
  18. game — a match
  19. branch — a division
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. saw — the tool

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