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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 120 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: fall · craft · temple · suit · pound · bound · wax · arm

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. craft — boats
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — to drop
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bound — certain
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fall — the season
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wax — to grow
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bound — tied together
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fall — to drop
  17. craft — a skill
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bound — obliged
  24. temple — side of the head

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