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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cue — a signal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cap — a hat
  9. can — a tin
  10. court — for sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. drill — army training
  13. cue — a hint
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — of law
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wax — to grow
  22. court — of a king
  23. bound — certain
  24. drill — the tool

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