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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bound — certain
  8. wax — to grow
  9. foot — a measure
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. shower — to wash
  13. face — to confront
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. sharp — clever
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. shower — rain
  21. band — a ring
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. band — a music group
  24. bound — tied together

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