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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: wind · rush · branch · stand · root · wax · saw · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stand — to bear
  3. can — to be able to
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rush — hurry
  20. branch — a division
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wax — in the ear

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