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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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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: nail · craft · bat · rock · perch · bound · mate · wax

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. perch — the fish
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bat — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mate — a partner
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rock — music

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