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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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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 · stem · bound · ground · mate · firm · pass · jam

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bound — obliged
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pass — a permit
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mate — a partner
  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