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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.

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: content · key · field · hide · fall · wax · bound · arm

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. field — a subject
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. content — the amount
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. content — happy
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. key — for a lock
  11. field — for sport
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wax — to grow
  20. field — farmland
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fall — the season
  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