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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 116 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: stem · wax · object · wind · bore · band · coach · cabinet

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stem — to come from
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. object — a thing
  15. bore — to tire
  16. band — a ring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. object — to protest
  23. band — a music group
  24. object — an aim

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