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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. charge — in control
  3. bound — tied together
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. net — in sport
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. charge — a price
  15. net — after costs
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mark — a grade
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. roll — a list
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bound — certain
  24. charge — electricity

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