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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bank — for money
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lean — thin
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stock — goods
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stock — shares
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wax — to grow

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