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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: capital · nail · wax · scale · wound · patient · bay · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bound — tied together
  9. capital — money
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wound — an injury
  13. capital — a city
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bound — certain
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wax — to grow
  24. nail — for a hammer

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