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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bound — obliged
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bound — certain
  9. mate — to breed
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mate — a partner
  18. band — a ring
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. band — a music group
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mate — a friend

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