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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fall — the season
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. date — the fruit
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bound — certain
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fall — to drop
  24. date — on the calendar

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