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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.

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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: rash · root · branch · land · rock · bay · wax · pound

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rash — a series
  3. land — to come down
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rock — a stone
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rock — music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. land — a country
  15. branch — a division
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. root — of a word
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. land — ground

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