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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · root · branch · coach · staff · hide · band · bowl

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. band — a music group
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. band — a ring
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. staff — employees
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. branch — a division
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. staff — employees
  18. root — the cause
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — of a tree

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