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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: track · wave · present · season · content · bound · patient · stem

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. season — in sport
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. track — a song
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. present — a gift
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — a path
  17. present — there
  18. track — to keep track
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. season — of the year
  22. present — the time now
  23. stem — to come from
  24. patient — a sick person

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