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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: shower · branch · wax · fine · root · club · nail · deal

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. root — of a plant
  5. club — a group
  6. branch — a division
  7. root — the cause
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. root — of a word
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. club — for golf
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fine — all right
  24. club — for dancing

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