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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: chair · leaves · bound · object · wax · bulb · temple · net

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. net — in sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. object — to protest
  20. bound — tied together
  21. object — an aim
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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