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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: pound · pop · patient · spring · mouse · leaves · wax · rock

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rock — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spring — of water
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pound — a weight
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pop — music
  17. spring — the season
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pop — soda
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — a stone

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