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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: racket · last · bank · bear · row · tube · wax · root

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — for money
  4. row — a line
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bank — of a river
  7. last — to go on
  8. row — to paddle
  9. last — finally
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bear — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. last — final
  14. root — of a word
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. root — of a plant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — the underground
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bank — for money
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. racket — a loud noise

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