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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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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: rock · wax · lean · cap · rule · bound · nail · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lean — thin
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rule — a law
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bound — certain
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mug — a face
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bound — tied together
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rock — a stone
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rock — music
  22. rule — government
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to bend

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