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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 116 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: can · patient · race · ground · kick · dip · wax · root

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. can — a tin
  7. root — of a plant
  8. kick — in football
  9. root — the cause
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wax — to grow
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. race — the arms race
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. root — of a word
  19. can — to be able to
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. kick — a thrill

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