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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 · bound · board · game · nail · temple · swing · rash

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a committee
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bound — tied together
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rash — a series
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. board — to get on
  13. swing — to play on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. game — a match
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bound — certain
  24. wax — to grow

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