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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. firm — decided
  8. bound — tied together
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rest — a break
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rest — what's left
  16. firm — a company
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rest — what's left
  19. track — a song
  20. wound — an injury
  21. firm — steady
  22. track — a path
  23. wound — an injury
  24. date — the fruit

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