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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bound — certain
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bound — tied together
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chest — a box
  18. wax — to grow
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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