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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: date · bound · calf · stem · foot · wax · capital · rock

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rock — music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stem — to come from
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bound — certain
  19. capital — a city
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. capital — money
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rock — a stone

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