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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: foot · wax · bowl · patient · wave · hand · bound · roll

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bound — certain
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wax — to grow
  18. roll — a cake
  19. hand — help
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wax — for sculpting

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