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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: foot · bowl · rush · bound · fall · wax · mug · date

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fall — to drop
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bound — tied together
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bound — certain
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mug — a face
  24. rush — to hurry

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