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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · fan · squash · patient · wax · cap · bound · scale

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bound — certain
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cap — of ice
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bound — obliged
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — tied together
  23. scale — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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