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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bound — tied together
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. drill — army training
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. chip — to eat
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — all right
  19. bound — certain
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wax — for sculpting

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