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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ball — a great time
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rock — a stone
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ball — a dance
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rock — 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