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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: wax · object · file · leaves · bound · row · wave · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bound — certain
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. object — to protest
  9. bound — tied together
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. row — a line
  14. wax — to grow
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. file — a line of people
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bound — obliged

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