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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 120 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: deal · coach · foot · root · ruler · wave · rash · wax

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rash — a series
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. root — of a word
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wax — to grow
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. root — the cause

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