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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: wax · bass · last · bank · pound · lean · toast · root

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — of a river
  4. last — to go on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lean — thin
  15. bank — for money
  16. last — finally
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. toast — bread
  20. root — of a word
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. root — of a plant
  23. last — final
  24. wax — for sculpting

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