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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: face · root · trunk · bank · wax · degree · bowl · game

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. degree — from a university
  13. root — the cause
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. face — to point toward
  16. degree — an amount
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. root — of a word
  21. face — to confront
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bank — of a river

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