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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: bound · safe · stock · mark · bat · leaves · wax · prune

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stock — shares
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bound — tied together
  10. prune — to trim
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stock — goods
  24. bound — certain

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