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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: bore · wax · pound · present · rule · calf · stem · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. present — a gift
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. present — there
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. present — the time now
  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