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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · bank · wound · can · root · current · clip · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — of a word
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. clip — a video
  6. root — the cause
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wound — an injury
  11. clip — to cut
  12. can — a tin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — a tin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. current — happening now
  20. wax — to grow
  21. current — of water
  22. root — of a plant
  23. current — electric
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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