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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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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: content · deal · wake · branch · pass · wax · fork · root

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wax — to grow
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. root — the cause
  12. content — the amount
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — happy
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. deal — to handle
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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