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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: bound · craft · pound · wax · wave · cell

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wax — to grow
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bound — certain
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wax — in the ear

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