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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: bank · patient · firm · wave · wax · prune · content · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. firm — steady
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bank — for money
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wax — to grow
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. content — the amount
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — a company
  19. content — happy
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. firm — decided

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