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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. wax — in the ear
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bound — tied together
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. present — there
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chest — of your body
  19. present — a gift
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. present — the time now
  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