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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: bound · bore · branch · wax · stem · stand · bear · capital

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. capital — money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bore — to drill
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bound — obliged
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. capital — a city
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stem — of a plant

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