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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: mine · tube · rush · wave · land · bay · bound · wax

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. land — a country
  8. bound — certain
  9. tube — the underground
  10. land — ground
  11. wax — to grow
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. land — to come down
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rush — hurry
  22. tube — a container
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mine — belonging to me

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