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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: bear · leaves · stand · degree · season · wax · bound · bank

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bound — certain
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. season — of the year
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bound — tied together
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bank — for money
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bank — for money
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bank — of a river
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bound — obliged

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