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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: season · key · wax · spell · root · mouse · bear · can

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. can — a tin
  7. season — of the year
  8. wax — to grow
  9. can — a tin
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spell — a short time
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. season — in sport
  19. key — in music
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. root — the cause
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. root — of a word

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