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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.

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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: cap · wax · rock · bound · mug · foot · club · wound

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rock — music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wound — an injury
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cap — a lid
  13. club — a group
  14. mug — a face
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mug — a cup
  19. club — for golf
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bound — certain

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