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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 116 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: ground · wave · wax · bear · pound · root · fine · patient

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. root — of a word
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wax — to grow
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. root — the cause
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ground — a position
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. ground — the earth

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