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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. band — a music group
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wax — to grow
  13. band — a ring
  14. press — to push
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. press — newspapers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bound — obliged
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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