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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 116 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rash — a series
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. ground — a position
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lie — to recline
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rash — hasty

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