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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: tube · spell · stand · leaves · wax · stem · trunk · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. spell — letters
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. spell — magic
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wax — to grow
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bore — to tire
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wax — for sculpting

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