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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rush — hurry
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. net — after costs
  14. press — to push
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. net — for catching
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. can — a tin

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