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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. suit — to fit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. root — the cause
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pop — soda
  10. bore — to tire
  11. root — of a word
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — to visit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. root — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pop — music
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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