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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: roll · band · suit · bore · root · net · nail · wax

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. bore — to drill
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. root — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. root — the cause
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. suit — in cards
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. root — of a word
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. net — for catching
  22. band — a ring
  23. suit — clothes
  24. nail — for a hammer

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