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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
468
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: track · wake · march · root · bulb · wax · foot · present

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. root — the cause
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. track — a song
  9. wake — a trail
  10. march — music
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — the time now
  18. march — the month
  19. present — a gift
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. present — there
  23. root — of a plant
  24. foot — a measure

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