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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — a committee
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wax — to grow
  18. tube — a container
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. press — to push
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. press — newspapers

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