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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fall — the season
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rule — government
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rule — a law
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fall — to drop
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fall — to drop
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. club — for golf
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. branch — a division
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. club — a group

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