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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · spell · prune · root · perch · wave · wax · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. root — of a plant
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rash — hasty
  8. perch — the fish
  9. spell — magic
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — to grow
  12. root — of a word
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spell — letters
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — the cause
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. prune — to trim

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