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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: root · wax · mug · mate · bear · band · ground · craft

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mate — a friend
  3. craft — a skill
  4. root — of a word
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ground — a position
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. root — the cause
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mug — a cup
  16. band — a music group
  17. bear — the animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. craft — boats
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mug — to rob
  24. root — of a plant

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