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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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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: pop · nail · row · bound · rule · wax · face · jam

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. row — a line
  3. rule — a law
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rule — government
  15. pop — soda
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. bound — certain
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bound — tied together
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. jam — in traffic

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