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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: wax · bear · cell · stock · foot · spring · bound · march

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stock — goods
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bound — certain
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. cell — a phone
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. spring — of water
  16. march — music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. spring — the season
  19. stock — shares
  20. march — the month
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stock — a soup base

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