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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: present · spell · wax · content · tube · plane · chip · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chip — for betting
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spell — a short time
  6. present — there
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. spell — letters
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spell — magic
  11. content — happy
  12. plane — a tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. content — the amount
  17. bound — tied together
  18. present — the time now
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bound — certain
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. tube — a container

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