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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — to get on
  3. cap — a lid
  4. board — a committee
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mug — a cup
  9. hand — help
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cap — a hat
  15. suit — clothes
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cap — of ice
  18. suit — in cards
  19. shower — rain
  20. hand — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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