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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pop — to visit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bound — tied together
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. bound — certain
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. net — for catching
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wax — to grow
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — music
  20. net — after costs
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. net — in sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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