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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fine — all right
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wax — to grow
  12. row — a line
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bound — obliged

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