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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. land — to come down
  3. rock — music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rock — a stone
  6. land — a country
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — in sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — after costs
  11. bound — obliged
  12. net — for catching
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. club — for golf
  20. bound — certain
  21. club — a group
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. land — ground
  24. wax — for sculpting

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