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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: fan · wave · root · wax · date · rest · degree · bank

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rest — what's left
  13. degree — temperature
  14. root — of a word
  15. bank — for money
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bank — for money
  20. degree — an amount
  21. date — the fruit
  22. root — the cause
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. degree — from a university

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