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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: bound · ground · bay · fine · swing · wax · bear · squash

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ground — crushed
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bound — certain
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fine — all right
  24. ground — a position

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