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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: wax · fine · mine · bound · bear · sharp · cue · date

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fine — all right
  3. bound — certain
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mine — for digging
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bound — tied together
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fine — high quality

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