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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bound — obliged
  4. march — the month
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cue — a hint
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. roll — a cake
  12. march — the month
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. roll — a list
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. march — music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cue — a signal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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