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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 · key · cap · chip · patient · wax · spell · bore

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cap — a lid
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. key — in music
  6. cap — of ice
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. chip — for betting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bound — certain
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bound — tied together

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