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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. root — of a word
  3. spell — magic
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spell — letters
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — a contest
  9. root — the cause
  10. spell — a short time
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. race — humankind
  16. pit — in a race
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. race — the arms race
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wax — to grow

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