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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · tube · wax · present · wind · bass · wave · bound

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. firm — decided
  3. present — a gift
  4. bound — obliged
  5. tube — a container
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — low music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. firm — steady
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wind — moving air
  18. present — the time now
  19. firm — a company
  20. present — there
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bass — the fish

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