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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. content — happy
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bound — obliged
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. foot — a measure
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fine — all right
  22. bound — certain
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. snap — to click

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