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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 · shower · content · bound · wave · snap · spell · sharp

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bound — certain
  7. spell — magic
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. spell — letters
  15. content — the amount
  16. wax — to grow
  17. content — happy
  18. snap — to click
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spell — a short time
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wax — in the ear

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