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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.

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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: lash · nail · can · lie · bound · court · wax · degree

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bound — obliged
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. court — of a king
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wax — to grow
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bound — certain
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. can — a tin

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