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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: root · kick · pit · march · suit · wind · fine · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. suit — to fit
  3. root — the cause
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. march — the month
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fine — all right
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. kick — in football
  16. root — of a plant
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — of a word
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fine — high quality

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