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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 120 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
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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: firm · pit · ball · wax · bound · fine · snap · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bound — certain
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. snap — to click
  5. firm — a company
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fine — all right
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. firm — steady
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bound — tied together
  14. content — happy
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pit — in a race
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pit — a hole
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. firm — decided

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