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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: bound · wave · field · pass · wax · spring · deal · content

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wax — to grow
  6. deal — to handle
  7. field — for sport
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. bound — certain
  19. content — happy
  20. pass — a permit
  21. spring — the season
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. content — the amount
  24. field — farmland

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