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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: spell · kick · race · cap · wind · root · wax · stand

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cap — a lid
  5. spell — letters
  6. wind — moving air
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cap — a hat
  10. race — a contest
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. root — the cause
  16. wax — to grow
  17. race — humankind
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — magic
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stand — to bear

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