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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.

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: net · fan · wax · root · present · pound · rock · hide

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. net — after costs
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — the cause
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — a stone
  13. present — a gift
  14. pound — a weight
  15. present — the time now
  16. net — for catching
  17. present — there
  18. root — of a word
  19. net — in sport
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. hide — animal skin

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