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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bound — tied together
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rest — a break
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. race — a contest
  14. pop — soda
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bound — certain
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. race — humankind
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pop — music

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