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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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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: wave · wind · chip · wound · wax · root · track · suit

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wind — moving air
  7. suit — in cards
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. root — the cause
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. root — of a word
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chip — to eat
  15. root — of a plant
  16. track — a path
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. track — a song
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — to keep track

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