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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.

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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: wake · tube · wave · patient · bound · lean · safe · cabinet

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wake — a trail
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tube — a container
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lean — thin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bound — certain
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tube — the underground
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. tube — in a tire
  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