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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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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 · pound · calf · foot · wax · bound · bear · bowl

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stem — to come from
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bear — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wax — to grow
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pound — a weight

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