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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. kid — child
  4. tube — the underground
  5. field — farmland
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bank — for money
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bank — of a river
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. field — for sport
  16. snap — to click
  17. bound — tied together
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bound — certain
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. field — a subject
  23. tube — a container
  24. kid — to tease

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