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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: bound · bank · stem · coach · wax · field · key · lean

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bound — certain
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — tied together
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bank — of a river
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. field — for sport
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. field — a subject
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bank — for money
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. key — in music
  24. coach — a trainer

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