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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: bank · wind · wax · root · ground · safe · clip · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bank — for money
  3. ground — a position
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. root — of a plant
  9. face — to confront
  10. bank — for money
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ground — the earth
  14. clip — a video
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bank — of a river

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