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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: roll · ball · bound · dip · perch · wax · stand · deal

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wax — to grow
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bound — certain
  20. dip — to sink
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. perch — for a bird

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