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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
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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 · clip · mug · cell · coach · bank · root · key

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — for money
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. key — for a lock
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mug — a face
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mug — to rob
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. root — the cause
  16. wax — to grow
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — of a word
  21. clip — a video
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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