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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.

Words on the sheet
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: board · bound · mouse · fine · pit · wax · arm · chest

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chest — of your body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fine — all right
  14. bound — tied together
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chest — a box
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. board — a committee
  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