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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: dip · bound · wax · bass · leaves · arm · root · mark

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mark — a trace
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bound — certain
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mark — a grade
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. root — of a word
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bound — obliged
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bass — low music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bass — the instrument

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