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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 120 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: wax · present · squash · bank · dip · net · band · root

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bank — for money
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. net — after costs
  6. present — there
  7. bank — of a river
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. net — in sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. present — the time now
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wax — to grow
  22. root — of a word
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a music group

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