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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rash — a series
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lie — to recline
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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