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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 120 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: object · root · wax · mark · wind · mine · racket · squash

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. object — an aim
  8. root — of a word
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. root — the cause
  11. object — to protest
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. object — a thing
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wind — moving air
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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