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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: calf · track · land · wax · bulb · fall · bound · content

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. track — to keep track
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bound — certain
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — the season
  13. track — a path
  14. fall — to drop
  15. content — happy
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. content — the amount
  19. track — a song
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — to drop

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