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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: ball · mouse · date · stem · bound · rock · leaves · wax

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ball — a dance
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bound — tied together
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rock — music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rock — a stone
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bound — certain
  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