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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 116 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: row · ball · rule · bound · coach · suit · wax · wound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bound — tied together
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rule — government
  11. bound — obliged
  12. row — a line
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rule — a law
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a dance
  20. row — to paddle
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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