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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · pop · stem · bound · spring · mate · bowl · wax

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lean — thin
  6. wax — to grow
  7. spring — the season
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pop — soda
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bound — certain
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pop — music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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