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

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rest — a break
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. capital — a city
  11. root — of a word
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — what's left
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. root — the cause
  18. scale — in music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. capital — money
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. capital — a big letter

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