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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: root · pitch · wind · chest · temple · ruler · squash · wax

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — a box
  7. wind — moving air
  8. root — of a word
  9. chest — of your body
  10. root — the cause
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wind — moving air

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