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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wind — moving air
  4. present — there
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. present — the time now
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. toast — bread
  18. bound — certain
  19. present — a gift
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wind — to turn a key

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