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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: stem · arm · rash · fan · bound · coach · wound · wax

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bound — obliged
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rash — a series
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bound — certain
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — hasty
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wound — an injury
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bound — tied together

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