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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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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 · band · bank · snap · wax · net · scale · pit

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bank — for money
  3. pit — in a race
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. net — in sport
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — for catching
  9. snap — to click
  10. band — a music group
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. root — the cause
  19. bank — of a river
  20. root — of a word
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. root — of a plant
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. net — after costs

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