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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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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: bore · calf · wake · pop · object · stem · wax · content

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. object — to protest
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. pop — music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. object — a thing
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pop — soda
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wake — a trail
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. object — an aim
  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