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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: rest · bound · mug · present · plane · spring · pit · wax

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. present — there
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — of water
  7. pit — a hole
  8. spring — the season
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. present — the time now
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rest — a break
  20. spring — a coil
  21. present — a gift
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. plane — a tool

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