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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: dip · wax · straw · sharp · wound · stick · row · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bound — obliged
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. row — a line
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bound — tied together
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. sharp — clever
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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