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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wax — to grow
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wind — moving air
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. root — of a word
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. root — the cause
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wax — in the ear

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