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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 120 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: bound · mine · fan · squash · club · saw · root · wax

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. root — of a word
  5. bound — obliged
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. bound — certain
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — tied together
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — belonging to me

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