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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: saw · rock · stem · content · leaves · bound · wax · ruler

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. content — happy
  10. rock — music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bound — certain
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. content — the amount
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — to move gently

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