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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: bound · bulb · content · present · pit · chest · wax · plane

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. content — the amount
  6. chest — a box
  7. bound — certain
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wax — to grow
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bound — tied together
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. present — a gift
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. content — happy
  24. wax — for sculpting

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