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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bound — tied together
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bound — certain
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. shower — rain
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tube — a container
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wax — to grow

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