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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 116 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. shower — rain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. game — wild animals
  11. content — the amount
  12. bound — obliged
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. content — happy
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fine — all right
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lash — to lash out

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