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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: wax · bulb · pop · stem · kid · mark · key · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. key — in music
  7. kid — to tease
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wax — to grow
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bound — obliged
  17. kid — child
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mark — a grade

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