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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: cell · leaves · chest · wax · game · stick · bore · bound

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bound — certain
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chest — a box
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bound — tied together
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. game — a match

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