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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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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 · stick · kid · band · rest · stem · roll · wax

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. kid — child
  7. rest — what's left
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. band — a music group
  13. rest — a break
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bound — certain
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. band — a ring
  24. kid — to tease

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