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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · bound · hide · spring · bass · wax · branch · root

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. root — of a word
  3. branch — a division
  4. root — the cause
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. key — in music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bound — certain
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bass — low music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. spring — a coil
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. wax — for sculpting

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