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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: rash · wax · bark · lean · march · pitcher · root · bank

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. march — the month
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. root — of a plant
  14. march — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lean — thin
  21. bank — for money
  22. root — of a word
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rash — a series

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