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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: stick · pop · wax · craft · leaves · lean · straw · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wax — to grow
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pop — soda
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pop — music
  8. craft — boats
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lean — thin
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lean — to bend
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. craft — a skill

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