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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: wax · row · dip · rule · wound · mine · bound · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bound — certain
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rule — government
  7. bound — obliged
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rule — a law
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. row — a line
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wound — an injury

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