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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · chair · wound · bound · squash · mug · lie · pit

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bound — tied together
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mug — a face
  14. pit — in a race
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bound — certain
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mug — to rob

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