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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: tube · stick · bound · spell · field · present · wax · rock

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. present — there
  3. spell — letters
  4. present — a gift
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rock — music
  7. spell — magic
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spell — a short time
  14. field — for sport
  15. bound — tied together
  16. present — the time now
  17. field — a subject
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tube — a container
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bound — certain

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