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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lean — thin
  7. cue — for pool
  8. content — the amount
  9. chest — a box
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wax — to grow
  13. content — happy
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cue — a hint
  16. spring — of water
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mug — a face
  20. bound — certain
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. spring — the season
  24. content — videos and posts

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