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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: current · chip · tear · wax · root · kick · cap · bass

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. root — of a plant
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chip — to eat
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cap — a hat
  11. kick — in football
  12. current — happening now
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. chip — for betting
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bass — low music
  17. current — electric
  18. wax — to grow
  19. current — of water
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cap — a lid

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