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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.

Make a worksheet

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: branch · lean · march · root · land · bank · straw · wax

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. march — the month
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. march — music
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. root — of a word
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. lean — thin
  16. root — the cause
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. root — of a plant
  19. land — a country
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. march — the month
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wax — to grow

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