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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: saw · squash · ball · racket · spell · branch · root · wax

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. spell — magic
  5. ball — a dance
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. root — of a plant
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. squash — to crush
  16. branch — a division
  17. root — the cause
  18. spell — letters
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spell — a short time
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — of a bank

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