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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fine — all right
  8. rock — music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bound — certain
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cell — in a prison

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