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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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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: stick · bound · net · wax · hide · bear · pit · capital

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bound — certain
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. net — after costs
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. net — for catching
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bound — obliged
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. net — in sport
  24. capital — a city

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