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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: wax · staff · stock · bound · spell · stem · bowl · hand

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bound — certain
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spell — letters
  5. staff — employees
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stock — shares
  13. wax — to grow
  14. staff — a stick
  15. spell — magic
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stock — goods
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. hand — help

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