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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: band · wax · root · track · pop · cabinet · foot · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pop — to visit
  4. root — the cause
  5. track — a song
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — to keep track
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. band — a ring
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. root — of a word
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. track — a path
  24. band — a music group

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