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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: net · bank · clip · root · swing · bear · wax · coach

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bank — of a river
  3. net — after costs
  4. clip — a video
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bank — for money
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. root — the cause
  10. net — in sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. net — for catching
  13. root — of a word
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bank — for money
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. swing — music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wax — to grow

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