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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: track · fine · wax · can · nail · band · perch · root

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. track — a path
  3. wax — to grow
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fine — all right
  10. track — a song
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. root — the cause
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — of a word
  19. perch — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fine — high quality

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