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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: branch · rush · root · bank · wax · track · bat · staff

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — the cause
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. track — a path
  10. wax — to grow
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. root — of a word
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — a division
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bat — the animal
  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