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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: wax · fork · fine · tear · track · rest · root · pop

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pop — music
  4. fine — all right
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. track — a song
  10. root — of a word
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wax — to grow
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — to rip
  16. track — a path
  17. root — of a plant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rest — a break
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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