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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. track — a path
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. drill — army training
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wax — to grow
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bound — obliged
  12. track — a song
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bound — certain
  20. drill — a practice
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stem — a stem cell

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