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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fine — high quality
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — the cause
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. can — a tin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fine — all right

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