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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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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: suit · branch · face · hand · wax · root · ground · scale

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ground — crushed
  3. suit — clothes
  4. root — the cause
  5. ground — the earth
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wax — to grow
  8. branch — a division
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. face — part of the head
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. suit — to fit
  17. scale — in music
  18. hand — in cards
  19. ground — a position
  20. face — to confront
  21. root — of a word
  22. scale — size or range
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. root — of a plant

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