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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bound — certain
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lean — to bend
  9. band — a ring
  10. wax — to grow
  11. band — a music group
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — to trim

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