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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — the time now
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. present — there
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bound — tied together
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. present — a gift
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bound — certain
  21. drill — army training
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. date — the fruit
  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