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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.

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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: wax · content · wave · patient · saw · capital · bulb · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. capital — a city
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mug — to rob
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. wax — to grow
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. capital — money
  22. mug — a face
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — a big letter

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