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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 120 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: wax · can · content · wind · bound · patient · wake · pass

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. content — happy
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bound — certain
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wind — moving air
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wake — a trail
  10. content — the amount
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bound — obliged
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wax — to grow

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