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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 120 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: firm · lean · spell · ground · prune · wax · bound · stem

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ground — the earth
  7. firm — steady
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wax — to grow
  10. spell — magic
  11. ground — a position
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spell — letters
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. firm — decided
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — a company
  24. wax — in the ear

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