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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bound — obliged
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wind — moving air

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