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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: lean · stick · wound · wax · cell · jam · roll · bound

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. roll — a list
  3. wound — an injury
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lean — thin
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cell — a phone
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bound — certain
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bound — obliged
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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