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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 116 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: stem · pass · stand · fan · tear · wax · bound · fork

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bound — certain
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wax — to grow
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pass — to spend time

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