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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · game · nail · charge · lie · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — in control
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lie — to recline
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wax — to grow
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match

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