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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 116 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: kick · deal · rock · cell · wax · hide · pitcher · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rock — music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cell — a phone
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rock — a stone
  20. kick — in football
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rock — to move gently

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