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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: mark · squash · rash · root · firm · wax · sharp · temple

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wax — to grow
  3. root — the cause
  4. squash — the sport
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mark — a trace
  7. squash — to crush
  8. firm — decided
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. firm — a company
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — clever
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. root — of a word
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mark — a grade

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