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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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bound — certain
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. content — the amount
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pass — a permit
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chest — a box

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