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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. row — a line
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — to grow
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bore — to drill
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — to tire
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. row — a quarrel

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