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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rash — a series
  5. race — the arms race
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — to grow
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. race — a contest
  11. bound — certain
  12. game — a match
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rash — hasty
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. race — humankind
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. game — wild animals
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hide — animal skin

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