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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wax — to grow
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. toast — bread
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. roll — a list
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. lean — thin
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pop — music
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lean — to rest against

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