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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cap — a lid
  5. hand — help
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bound — certain
  9. cue — a signal
  10. firm — decided
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cap — of ice
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. firm — a company
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. firm — steady
  23. stem — to come from
  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