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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
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: cue · face · cell · wax · wake · bound · patient · suit

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cell — a phone
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wax — to grow
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bound — certain
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cell — in biology
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bound — tied together
  24. face — to confront

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