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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. bound — tied together
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bound — obliged
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bound — certain
  9. rock — a stone
  10. present — a gift
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. spell — letters
  14. rock — music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. spell — magic
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mug — a face
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mug — a cup
  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