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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: race · charge · wax · rash · root · toast · temple · bank

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. race — humankind
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bank — of a river
  6. root — of a word
  7. race — a contest
  8. bank — for money
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wax — to grow
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. toast — bread
  14. root — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. charge — a price
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bank — for money
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. root — the cause

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