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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wax · trunk · season · saw · present · race · roll

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. present — the time now
  10. roll — a list
  11. race — humankind
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. present — there
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. present — a gift
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. season — of the year
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. roll — a cake
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. season — in sport
  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