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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 116 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: row · cell · wax · rash · present · board · snap · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. board — a committee
  3. present — a gift
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rash — a series
  7. row — a line
  8. snap — to click
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. board — to get on
  11. root — of a word
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. present — the time now
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rash — hasty
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. root — the cause
  18. present — there
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cell — in biology
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rash — on the skin

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