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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: safe · stem · can · ground · bore · capital · wax · field

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — to grow
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ground — crushed
  6. capital — a city
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. field — farmland
  13. bore — to drill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ground — a position
  17. capital — money
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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