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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
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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: patient · cue · wave · bound · squash · content · wound · trunk

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wound — an injury
  12. squash — to crush
  13. content — the amount
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bound — certain
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. squash — the sport

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