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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: key · wound · root · fan · band · wax · chair · temple

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. band — a music group
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wound — an injury
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — in music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. root — of a word
  14. key — for a lock
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. band — a ring
  21. root — the cause
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. key — the most important part

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