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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: fan · wax · craft · band · root · nail · race · stock

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — the cause
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — goods
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — shares
  13. race — the arms race
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — a contest
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. root — of a word
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. race — humankind

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