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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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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: bank · wind · race · root · content · wax · mug · hide

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — to rob
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bank — for money
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. root — of a word
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. content — happy
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wind — moving air
  18. root — the cause
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. race — humankind

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