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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
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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: arm · row · can · content · bound · net · wave · wax

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. content — happy
  6. can — to be able to
  7. net — for catching
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. net — after costs
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. net — in sport
  20. row — a line
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. content — the amount
  24. can — a tin

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