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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.

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: roll · bark · plane · wax · cap · patient · track · root

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. root — the cause
  6. cap — a hat
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. root — of a word
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cap — a lid
  13. track — to keep track
  14. roll — a cake
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wax — to grow
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. roll — a list
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. roll — on a roll

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