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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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Word bank
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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: tear · temple · wax · perch · root · bulb · lean · roll

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — thin
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. root — of a word
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tear — from crying
  14. roll — a list
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. perch — the fish
  21. root — the cause
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. 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