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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 116 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: land · content · bulb · wax · mug · pop · wound · pass

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. content — happy
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. land — to come down
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — a country
  18. content — the amount
  19. pop — music
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. land — ground
  22. pop — soda
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pop — to visit

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