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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bound — tied together
  3. land — a country
  4. wax — to grow
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bound — certain
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. land — to come down
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. land — ground
  20. row — a line
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wound — an injury
  24. last — final

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