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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pit — in a race
  6. present — a gift
  7. bound — certain
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cue — a signal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bound — tied together
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bound — obliged
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — a hint
  24. present — the time now

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