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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bound — certain
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bank — for money
  6. land — to come down
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. spell — letters
  10. land — ground
  11. pop — music
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. spell — magic
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. spell — a short time
  21. land — a country
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pop — soda
  24. pit — in a race

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