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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: present · band · wax · rush · scale · roll · branch · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. band — a ring
  5. present — there
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. root — of a plant
  9. scale — size or range
  10. roll — a cake
  11. present — the time now
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. band — a music group
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. present — a gift
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — in music
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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