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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: root · content · kick · wax · spell · toast · prune · bat

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bat — the animal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spell — magic
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wax — to grow
  11. toast — bread
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. content — happy
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. prune — to trim
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. content — the amount

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