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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: root · wound · ground · bore · chip · stick · wax · mine

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ground — crushed
  8. root — of a word
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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