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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
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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: lie · last · bound · wind · press · cabinet · wax · march

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. press — to push
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — finally
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bound — certain
  15. march — the month
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. march — music
  19. last — final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wax — to grow
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bound — tied together

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