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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 124 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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. pop — soda
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. squash — to crush
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chest — a box
  9. bound — certain
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pop — music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. squash — the sport

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