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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lean — thin
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bound — certain
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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