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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cold — not warm
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — certain
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — a tool

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