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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: root · court · wax · branch · cabinet · mark · snap · calf

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. root — of a word
  3. branch — a division
  4. court — of law
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. root — of a plant
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wax — to grow
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. root — the cause
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. court — of a king
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. snap — to click
  21. court — for sport
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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