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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · root · stock · coach · row · bank · wax · safe

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bank — of a river
  5. row — a line
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — for money
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stock — goods
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stock — shares
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. root — of a word
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — the cause
  24. safe — a strongbox

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