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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · rule · net · sharp · bound · cap · mate · wind

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rule — government
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. net — in sport
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rule — a law
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wind — moving air
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bound — certain

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