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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · bear · wax · squash · tube · branch · content · wake

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. tube — a container
  9. squash — to crush
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tube — the underground
  22. content — happy
  23. squash — the sport
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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