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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hand — help
  4. charge — in control
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. root — the cause
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. band — a music group
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bound — certain
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. band — a ring
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. root — of a word
  24. charge — a price

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