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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: band · wax · stem · calf · rock · bulb · leaves · tube

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. band — a ring
  7. tube — a container
  8. band — a music group
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rock — music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. tube — the underground
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rock — a stone
  24. calf — of the leg

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