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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: sharp · bulb · bound · tear · ruler · wax · snap · cabinet

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bound — tied together
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bound — certain
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. snap — to click
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ruler — a monarch

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