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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.

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: wound · wax · bear · rule · track · ground · bound · stick

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. track — a path
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rule — government
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rule — a law
  17. bound — certain
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bound — tied together

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