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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: stick · kid · safe · wax · roll · root

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wax — to grow
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. root — of a word
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. root — the cause
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. root — of a plant
  18. roll — a cake

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